We are Kevin and Kate, hailing from different parts in Ireland, our paths first crossed in Scotland, Kevin got an engagement ring made in Lebanon, he proposed in Thailand, and we got married in Spain. We guess you could say that travel has been woven into our story from the beginning, but we didn’t realise how much apart of our story it would become.
We are a couple who were following the path of buying the house, getting married, having good jobs, and settling down….. But then actually paused to have the conversation asking ourselves – is this the path that we truly want?
Turns out it was not!!
What started as dreams were becoming serious talks and slowly turning into possibilities.
We didn’t know what exactly we wanted but we knew one thing – we wanted sunshine. Perhaps the fact it rained in Ireland for almost 2 years straight, seriously!
What’s Our Story – How We Got Here
Kate ended up being offered a job in the Caribbean (should be enough sunshine right?!)
We decided to travel Asia for 3 months while the paperwork was being organized.
Follow us on Instagram for our latest adventures
Once the visas etc were sorted we would fly back to Ireland to collect our already packed suitcases and make our way to the Cayman Islands.
But Things Took a Turn…
Issues with the visas meant Kate was not able to start the job as planned.
This is where the word “improvise” kicks in!
A word we continue to value today as we are still learning that things do not always go to plan.
Follow us on Facebook for our latest adventures!
Here we were in Vietnam, our house rented out for the year, and no longer in a job.
We continued traveling South East Asia with no real long-term plan, and 3 months turned into 7 months.
During this time we got our first real feel of travel as we explored Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
And Then Things Took a Turn Again!
Disaster struck with a traffic accident in Bali. Not our fault, simply a case of being in the wrong place at a VERY wrong time.
Luckily Kate had a sister in Perth Australia. We diverted our route to Australia as we quickly discovered that crutches and backpacks don’t mix.
What we initially thought of as a disaster we now view as a blessing in disguise. (Although very much disguised at the time!)
While recovering in Perth for 3 months, we began to realize Australia is a pretty cool place. And who knew, also lots of sunshine!
To be able to apply for a working visa in Australia you must be out of the country.
So that was great news for us as we got to spend two months in Sri Lanka and India coming up with a plan to live in “The Land Down Under”.
So I Guess we Live in Australia Now?!
Whilst we were in India a job was offered to Kate in Queensland. Quite surreal doing a Skype interview with monkeys literally climbing in the background!
We flew to Brisbane, bought an old second-hand car the same day, and started a 12-hour drive north to a place we never had heard of – the hidden gem of Mackay.
Mackay ended up being our much-loved home for 6 years. We lived amongst rainforests, turquoise waters, beaches, and palm trees, exactly what we were looking for all along.
During this time, we got to visit new places such as New Zealand, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Hong Kong, Macau, and the Philippines.
And also revisited old favorites – Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, whilst of course exploring lots of the big and beautiful Australia.
Australian Citizens?! Whaat?!
How the heck did this happen?! We question that too, but my God are we thrilled!!
It may sound contradictory but getting this citizenship or “golden ticket” as we also refer to it, really helped in our decision to leave!
Life was really good but with a helping hand from COVID and lockdowns, once again we felt that niggling sensation of adventure growing.
Soon enough the maps were being printed off and a 5-year plan of travel began.
The start of Full-time travel around the world
Once we got citizenship, we knew nothing could stop us now. We were sad to leave Australia. There are so many things like the people, Australian wildlife, and the many spectacular and diverse landscapes that make Australia a great country to live in, and it will forever have a special place in our hearts. But it was time to go see the world!
2022 – After a quick trip back home to Ireland (it had been 6 years after all!!) we began our full-time adventure with a 6-month road trip around Australia in our beloved Toyota Hiace van. Followed with visits to Thailand, Laos, and the UAE.
2023 – Our 2023 journey kicked off with a few weeks of exploring the Baltic region, visiting Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland. We then started our next major adventure, an epic Africa journey from Cairo to Cape Town by public transport.
Our African adventure was a thrilling yet demanding journey that took us to 10 incredible countries. We kicked off our 9-month adventure in Egypt.
From there, we traveled to Sudan with a plan to make our way to Ethiopia. However, due to unrest in Ethiopia, we were unable to visit and instead headed to Oman for three weeks. It’s funny how things turn out sometimes because as we left Khartoum Airport it got attacked only a few hours later and marked the beginning of civil war.
After our detour to Oman, We returned to the African continent, flying into Uganda and continuing overland through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and Namibia before concluding our trip in South Africa. 9 months later we were finished and ready to start planning for 2024 whilst in Thailand!
Nine months later our African adventure was completed, and we would have 4 months in Thailand to start thinking of our 2024 travels.
2024 – It is hard to plan an overland trip in Asia with the many different monsoon seasons, conflict, and restricted border access. But we eventually came up with a plan.
Firstly, An East Asia trip, 30 days in China starting in Beijing and making our way to Hong Kong overland, followed by trips to South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Want to track our latest adventures? Click the link to stay up-to-date on our current location and join us on our latest epic overland adventure from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Kolkata, India via Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Nepal. Click here to find out where in the world are we now!
Plans Will Change and That’s OK!
Funny how quickly new plans can come into action and just feel right. We began our adventure of full-time travel with a lap of Australia but ended up cutting our trip short.
La Nina in 2022 had other plans for us and we had enough of the rain! One of the life lessons we learned is to “go with the flow” and basically that PLANS CHANGE.
That was ok as we got to spend two months in Laos and Thailand again! We truly believe we will end up where we are meant to be even if we don’t realize it at that exact time.
“The moment you decide one outcome is the right outcome, you are also deciding that another outcome is the wrong one. Beyond this, some things work out the way we intend for them to, others don’t. This is a gift, too.”
– Brianna West –
What will the Future Bring?!
On this adventure, given our past experiences, there will be amazing times when we will be left absolutely dumbfounded by gratitude. We will also find ourselves in some crazy situations like escaping civil war in Sudan by luck!
Of course, we are going to get lost and frustrated looking for our hotel, especially after being dropped off in the middle of the night in unknown places.
Most certainly our backs will be broken from night buses, airport sleeps, and our faces will hurt from smiling for selfies wanted by strangers………And we cannot wait for it all again!!
With Kate’s psychology experience and Kevin’s military background, we feel together we have an array of knowledge and skills to share with the world.
Hopefully even helps a person or two along the way to travel their best!
If you would like to leave a question/comment below or even if you just want to say “Hey, what’s the craic?!” then please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you!
Don’t forget to follow us on social media for our latest adventures!
Slán go fóil
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the links to make a purchase, we will earn a small commission. This is at NO EXTRA COST to you. This is a free way to support us and allow us to continue to create inspiring adventure travel guides.
Hi! Your adventures are inspiring! Please tell me how you travel so cheaply. Details would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Shari! Thank you very much, that is great to hear!
Fresh of the press!! There’s 2 new articles about money saving tips gone up on our site in TRAVEL TIPS.
The first is how we saved money to start our adventure, and the other article is how we spend our money whilst on the road! Its possible for everyone!!
https://happyirishwanderers.com/full-time-travel-save-money/
Hope you enjoy it and get out there as well!!
Kevin & Kate
You have a really interesting story. Can’t wait to read about your adventures!
Thank you Andy, we really appreciate that! A LOT more adventures to come!
Hi how did you end up getting the Australian citizenship? And how long have you been travelling now on your current trip
Hey Shane.
We had to get our Australian 187 Permanent Residency first (Which was more complicated and a lot cheaper than getting the citizenship) Also we did the PR ourselves without any agency who charge a ridiculous amount to do it, just read the forms a few time and its self explanatory.
After you have the PR more than 4 years, (and be in Australia for that time) you can then apply for citizenship. Do the citizenship test and pay a small fee and that is it!
On the road over two years now with many more places too see!